40-Day Prayer Challenge

Prayer is a powerful catalyst for change in hearts and lives around the world. Over and over, we’ve seen God work in least-reached communities as His people pray, and that’s why we’re asking you to commit to 40 days of prayer for cross-cultural workers!

To participate, just invest five to 10 minutes of each day in bringing these workers and their needs before the Lord. Below is an outline to help you pray strategically for those ministering in least-reached communities. Ask the Holy Spirit to work in, through and around the lives of workers, their families and the communities in which they serve.

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Days 1-5: Pray for Workers’ Spiritual Lives

Contrary to popular belief, workers serving among the least-reached are not spiritual giants. They are subject to the same doubts, temptations and struggles that any other believers face. But the challenges of cross-cultural life and ministry may bring these issues to the forefront.

• Ask God to continually refresh and guide workers through consistent times of prayer and learning from Scripture.
• Pray that workers will have meaningful times of corporate worship and fellowship.
• Ask God to give workers victory over spiritual struggles and the grace to resist temptation.
• Pray that workers will remain committed to serving the Lord in spite of difficulties.
• Ask God to help workers grow in grace and wisdom, rejuvenating and encouraging them in their own walk with the Lord.
• Ask God to continually draw workers closer to Himself.

Days 6-11: Pray for Workers’ Ministries

Workers live and serve in unfamiliar cultures so that they can present the gospel in ways that are relevant to least-reached people in those communities. This task can be exciting and encouraging, as well as challenging and frustrating, especially when efforts to minister don’t bear visible fruit. Mastery of a language is a lifelong pursuit, and many Christar workers study for countless hours to become fluent in some of the most difficult languages to learn. In addition, workers invest great effort in understanding the local culture so that they can compellingly communicate the hope they have in Christ in their communities.

• Lift up workers as they learn new languages so that they can share the gospel with least-reached people.
• Ask God to give workers opportunities to build relationships with least-reached people.
• Ask God to give workers boldness and discernment in sharing the gospel.
• Pray that workers will have wisdom in the use of their time, resources and energy.
• Ask God to give workers sensitivity and the ability to communicate across cultures.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of least-reached people as workers share the gospel with them.
• Pray for wisdom for workers as they develop ministries that meet specific needs in least-reached communities.
• Pray for perseverance for workers who are ministering faithfully but have not yet seen fruit from their efforts.

Days 12-17: Pray for Workers’ Families

Ministry begins in the family as workers model godly marriages and parenting in least-reached communities. While family members can be a great blessing and encouragement, dealing with family issues on the field can add an extra level of strain to already complicated issues. From finding suitable schooling for children to concerns about elderly parents, these situations can be sources of great stress and can hinder effective ministry. But as workers face these challenges through the lens of a biblical worldview, their responses can serve as powerful testimonies.

• Pray that couples serving together will have strong and supportive marriages.
• Ask God to give workers who are parents wisdom in raising their children in least-reached cultures.
• Pray for wisdom as workers seek to meet their children’s educational needs on the field.
• Pray for workers’ children as they navigate the challenges of growing up outside of their sending culture.
• Pray that workers’ children will personally trust in Jesus and develop mature faith of their own.
• Pray that workers’ parents and other family members will be supportive of them and their ministries.
• Pray for salvation for workers’ unsaved family members.
• Pray that workers’ relationships with family members would serve as powerful examples of God’s love and grace to others.

Days 18-23: Pray for Church-Planting Teams

Christar workers don’t serve alone. A worker’s team includes fellow workers and, many times, national believers as well. Teammates support and encourage one another; however, working with a team is never free of bumps in the road, especially when individuals ministering together possess starkly different personalities or are from different cultures and backgrounds. But when diverse team members serve alongside one another in unity, they powerfully represent the Body of Christ.

• Pray for a spirit of cooperation and unity on every Christar team.
• Pray that team members will interact graciously with each other, submitting to and learning from one another.
• Pray that team members’ skills and gifts will complement one another for the glory of God.
• Pray that conflict within teams will be resolved in God-honoring ways.
• Pray that teammates will build each other up, hold one another accountable and be willing to confront one another lovingly when necessary.
• Pray for mutual support and a sense of family within teams.
• Ask God to use Christar teams as examples of the local body of Christ in least-reached communities.

Days 24-29: Pray for the Communities in Which Workers Serve

Many Christar workers serve in countries where Christian workers are not welcomed and where those who profess faith in Christ are persecuted or even martyred. Many of these least-reached areas have been scarred by years of war, domestic strife or natural disasters, and factors ranging from poverty to government regulations can make ministry a challenge.

• Pray for stability in least-reached areas that have been plagued with unrest.
• Ask God to build His Church in places that have faced persecution.
• Pray that workers will be able to obtain the visas necessary to remain in their countries of service.
• Pray for safety for workers serving in areas that are hostile to Christianity.
• Pray for wisdom for workers as they seek to encourage local believers who are facing discrimination or abuse due to their faith.
• Pray that workers will find favor in the eyes of local officials.
• Pray that workers will develop strong relationships with persons of peace in their communities.

Days 30-34: Pray for Workers’ Physical Needs

Many of workers’ physical and practical needs are no different than your own, except that meeting them on the field may be a bit more complicated. Staying healthy and finding quality medical care, as well as suitable housing and transportation, can be challenging.

• Pray for workers’ physical health, asking that medical issues would not interfere with ministry.
• Ask God to give workers freedom from loneliness, depression and anxiety.
• Ask God to give workers energy and good times of rest.
• Ask God to provide housing for workers that meets their needs and is conducive to ministry.
• Ask God to provide reliable means of transportation for workers.
• Pray that workers will receive the financial and spiritual support necessary to provide for themselves and their loved ones as they sustain and grow their ministries.

Days 35-40: Pray for Workers’ Support Teams

Cultivating Christ-honoring transformation in least-reached communities is a team effort, and every Christar worker has a team of prayer and financial supporters standing behind them. Even the apostle Paul needed a support team! He built relationships with believers in many churches and often asked them to uphold him in prayer. He also frequently mentions their giving, thanking them for their generosity and emphasizing the importance of their gifts. Churches and individuals play a vital role in praying for and supporting the ministries of workers, and if a worker’s support team isn’t praying and giving, that worker’s ministry suffers.

• Pray that workers’ daily prayer partners will be faithful to their commitment to pray.
• Ask God to provide for workers’ financial needs through the generosity of His people.
• Ask God to provide more individuals and churches to stand behind workers through prayer and giving.
• Pray for strength and energy for workers as they build and communicate with their support teams.
• Lift up the members of workers’ support teams, asking God to meet their financial needs so that they’re able to give.
• Ask God to use members of workers’ support teams to encourage workers during challenging times.